Father Doug Dishes

The Pantagraph
July 5, 2013

http://www.pantagraph.com/father-doug-dishes/article_58fb34d8-e5b6-11e2-9567-001a4bcf887a.html

Father Doug Hennessy weighs in on some controversial questions involving the Catholic Church:

Q: What has been the impact on the Catholic Church of the (sex-abuse) scandal?

A: It was a serious blow to the church’s moral credibility and authority. It is very sad and tragic. It bankrupted the trust account that priests used to have. Now, we have to nurture and develop that trust. It was handled badly by church leadership. If someone feels they were mistreated, they should come forward to church leadership. The worst thing that can happen is to let that fester without dealing with it. We want to care for victims while respecting the privacy of individuals and recognizing that some priests have been falsely accused.

Q. Is the Catholic Church still experiencing a priest shortage?

A: Many of us who serve as priests would say yes. I think the church has worked hard to encourage vocations. Many of us (priests over 65) are retiring or going to God. The numbers among 45- to 65-year-olds are thin but there are more young priests coming on. Pastoral planning now involves more sharing of resources among parishes (including combining parishes’ programs, classes and support groups). And a great many lay people are volunteering.

Q: Has the priesthood outlived its usefulness?

A: The priesthood is divine in origin. It has not outlived its usefulness. It will continue to evolve. But there will always be a need for someone to guide the community in worship and we believe that to be priests.

Q: Will priests be allowed to marry?

A: There are some married priests. They were ministers in other faiths who were called to Catholicism. Those of us who were ordained and committed to celibacy always will be expected to live it. The call not to marry is something that the church has asked of priests. But I think we’ll have more and more married priests gradually over time.

Q. What about female priests?

A: The notion of ordaining men is something that came from the Lord. It is a doctrinal issue (meaning it is a principle of the church, in contrast with priests not marrying, which is a tradition of the church). If we have female priests, that will be much farther down the road.